Isla
isla • she/her • seawing • assistant librarian / musician appearance Isla is of an average height for her age, although she has a fair bit of chubbiness, with a plump face and generally rounded features. She usually has a rather placid expression, although if you look closer, there are usually bags under her eyes, a result of numerous nights with too little sleep. Her scales are primarily a jade green, although the scales on top of her head and her spines are instead a slightly darker variation of this color. However, her underbelly is a soft seafoam green, a color that her wing membranes and the webbing along her body also share. Isla's luminescent stripes are a shade of green so pale that they almost appear white. Her horns are a darker color than her scales -- they're also shorter and stubbier than those of most SeaWings, but they still retain a curved shape. The irises of her eyes are a clear teal. Her only adornment is a silver earring that dangles from one ear. There are also a few small scars scattered across her body, which are mostly products of her clumsiness on land. personality Isla may seem a bit shy and sequestered from a distance, but around her friends and family, she’s much more at ease. She tends to overthink the smallest of problems, leading to a large amount of anxiety. The SeaWing can easily become frustrated or annoyed, and she often suppresses her negative emotions for the sake of her friends. Isla has very little self-confidence -- her only source of validation comes from the praise of those around her, which she constantly feels a need to seek out. She's extremely self-deprecating as well, criticizing herself for virtually every action that she makes. Because of her nervous demeanor, Isla usually becomes awkward in social settings and may act in a way that makes others uncomfortable. However, her interpersonal skills have begun to improve with the assistance of her friends. The dragoness suffers from depressive episodes as well, although she's been doing better in her new setting. abilities The dragoness is an accomplished pianist and violinist, having been trained in both instruments for many years. During her time in school, she was proficient in both language arts and the natural sciences -- however, her mathematical skills are still far from perfect. While Isla is no athlete and has never received a formal training in combat, she's certainly strong enough to hold her own in a fight. As for her other capabilities, she's a skilled swimmer and is fluent in Aquatic. history Isla was born to a pair of SeaWings in a small coastal village located in the Kingdom of the Sea. Her father, Marlin, owned a local apothecary, while her mother, Arashi, was a weaver. Although her family wasn’t wealthy, they earned enough money to keep them in modest comfort and could even afford a few indulgences. At the age of 1, Isla was promptly enrolled in the local school and began to attend lessons there. Since she wasn’t exactly the outgoing type, she mostly kept to herself and rarely spoke to her fellow students, preferring to read or draw alone. For the majority of her youth, she had few friends, although she wasn’t too worried about her social situation. Even from a young age, she displayed a strong passion for music, often experimenting with the various instruments available to her at school. As she grew older, her parents were able to hire a teacher to instruct her in piano and violin. Isla quickly grew in skill, practicing with fervor and even neglecting her other duties at times so that she could rehearse. Around the time that Isla had turned 4, Arashi laid another egg — and soon her younger sister Turquoise was born. Her mother was ecstatic, and for a time, it seemed that things were just as they were meant to be. But the peace didn’t last. Later that year, Marlin decided to move to the heart of the kingdom in order to pursue a career as a royal scientist. While he visited his wife and daughters periodically, he eventually stopped after a couple of years, and Arashi was left to take care of their children alone. With her husband gone, their mother was forced to maintain both the apothecary business and her job as a weaver in order to support her family. Because Arashi often wouldn’t return home until late in the evening, Isla was responsible for taking care of Turquoise while she was away. As their financial situation began to worsen, the added stress began to take its toll on Isla’s family. Arashi grew angry and irritable, snapping at her daughters for little to no reason and punishing them severely for any minor transgressions. Isla soon began to avoid home as much as possible, spending more and more time near the beach in the hopes of evading her mother’s temper. It was on one of these excursions that she stumbled upon the unconscious body of a MudWing. The stranger appeared to be the same age as Isla, with pale hickory-brown scales. Her build was small, delicate -- vastly different from most members of her tribe. Ornate jewelry bedecked her body. She was nothing short of beautiful. Isla quickly left to fetch fresh water and food for her, and by the time she returned, the stranger had already awoken. Gratefully accepting the provisions, she introduced herself as Doe, the runaway daughter of a pair of nobles. Doe went on to implore that her presence be kept a secret. “Please, you can’t tell anyone about me,” she said weakly. “My parents are looking for me. I can’t go home. I can’t --” Doe broke off. “I won’t say anything,” Isla replied firmly. “You can trust me.” From then on, she returned to the beach nearly every day in order to sneak Doe food. During these visits, the two slowly began to bond over their shared interests and similar experiences. They would tell jokes, swap stories, and, under more serious circumstances, even discuss their own lives. “I... wasn’t the daughter that my parents wanted,” Doe told her one day. “They expected me to be quiet. Demure. To follow orders without question. Luckily for them, I was the exact opposite.” She let out a breath, and Isla could see her talons clench. “So they decided that the best course of action was to marry me off to someone who could keep me in line. At least then I wouldn’t be their problem.” “I’m sorry,” Isla murmured. “It doesn’t matter. I’m never going back home -- not now, not ever. I’ll make sure that they’ll never get their claws on me.” Doe stared straight ahead, jaw set. “I’m not just some shiny token that they can trade and barter when I don’t do what they want. And if they don’t see that, well, too bad. They had their chance.” “Where will you go?” “I don’t know. Somewhere where they’ll never find me. I’ll have to figure it out. I’m alone now, after all.” “That’s not true,” Isla protested. “You have me.” Doe smiled at this. “My own personal one-dragon army.” “Doe, I’m being serious. Whatever happens, you can always count on me. I promise.” “Oh, you big sap, you.” The MudWing yawned, leaning over to rest her head on Isla’s shoulder. “Don’t be dense. I don’t know where I’d be if it weren’t for you.” It was then that she became aware of the fluttering sensation in her gut. Isla wanted to cry out right then and there. What did it mean? What was going on? She couldn’t have fallen in love with her, right? That’s ridiculous. I look up to her, that’s all. I just want to be like her, not with her. But what she had previously dismissed as admiration soon blossomed into something else. With each passing day, her feelings only grew stronger, until she felt as if her heart was going to completely burst. She couldn’t go on like this for much longer. It was a tranquil night. Isla was visiting Doe again, and the two were sitting side by side, watching the full moon as it rose above the silvery waters. They had bantered for a bit before finally settling down, and now all was quiet. And then, before she could stop herself, the words spilled out. “Doe, I -- I don’t really know how to say this. I just… I really like you, and being near you makes me feel really happy. And I know you probably don’t feel the same way, and I’m sorry about everything and --” “Stop, stop, stop.” The MudWing reached for one of Isla’s talons, gently taking it in her own. In the darkness, it was hard for Isla to see, but she thought that she could make out a smile on Doe’s face. “You clod. I had this whole plan laid out, and you just had to up and mess it up by confessing first.” “What?" “That’s right, you blockhead, I’m debilitatingly infatuated with you too. Now we can finally say that we’re even.” “But --” “For moons’ sakes, Isla, shut up and let me kiss you already.” So she did. --- Their meetings didn’t stay covert for much longer, however. When Arashi discovered their relationship, she flew into a rage, screaming that Isla disgusted her and demanding that she leave her home. Distraught, she packed her belongings and went to the beach in order to find Doe -- but she was gone. Perhaps she had finally been found out, or maybe she had left on her own -- either way, she was nowhere to be found. Isla hid by the coast for over a week, awaiting Doe’s return, but it was as if she had vanished into thin air. With a heavy heart, she finally set off on her own, unsure of where to go or what to do. Even then, she couldn’t stop the tears from falling as she began as she began her journey away from home -- away from her family, away from her lover, away from the only place she had ever known. After six days of weary travel, Isla arrived on the outskirts of Possibility, a place known for its inclusiveness and open-minded attitudes. As she wandered through the town in search of anyone that would hire her, she ran into Tendua, a dragoness who had arrived in Possibility around the same time as her. Enthralled by the RainWing’s outgoing demeanor and charisma, the two quickly became fast friends. relationships Tendua: She considers the RainWing to be one of her closest friends and admires her for her talents and easygoing attitude. Tiger's Eye: Vestibulum quis turpis finibus, pellentesque eros id, rutrum nulla. Aenean et tortor cursus orci maximus eleifend. Suspendisse nec lectus metus. Suspendisse luctus volutpat vulputate. Suspendisse potenti. Doe: Isla was deeply in love with her and was extremely distraught when she went missing. She hopes that she can somehow find a way to reunite with her. Arashi: Her relationship with her mother can be described as stormy at best. Especially after her mother's outburst at her, Isla no longer wishes to keep in touch, and the possibility of reconciliation seems far off. Marlin: Isla still harbors anger and bitterness towards her father for abandoning his family. trivia - Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. - Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. - Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. - Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. gallery 9AC5FF0E-CFF2-414F-8CE9-849E7133E74B.png|Isla's ref (ref base by Jada) C484EA27-F8B5-4024-98A2-138B78766FDC.png|Isla's moodboard (made by me)